Knitting machine and method of knitting



March l5, 1955 B. T. R. REYMEs-coLl-I E-rAx. .2,703,970

KNIT'I'ING MACHINE AND METHOD OF' KNITTING Filed May 25, 1949 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 a cefg mno rstuv llllxsllrlllllllrllll TV@ H UP U March 15, 1955 B. T. R. REYMEs-coLE ETAL 2,703,970

KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD oF KNITTING Filed May 25, 1949 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 I ve lor B. T. R. REYMESCOLE ET AL KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF KNITTING March 15, 1955 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 25, 1949 March 15, 1955 B. T. R. REYMEs-coLE Erm. 2,703,970

KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF KNITTING 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 25. 1949 March 15, 1955 B, T. R. REYMEs-COLE Erm. 2,703,970

-KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF KNITTING 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 25, 1949 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 Inen orS March 15, 1955 B. T. R. REYMEs-COLE ETAL KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD oF KNITTING Filed May 25, 1949 March 15, 1955 B. T. R. REYMEs-coLE ETAL 2,703,970

KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD oF KNITTING Filed May 25, 1949 9 SheeiS-Sheei'l 7 l Inve 10.1;9 4

l., l T

March 15, 1955 B. T. R. REYMEs-COLE ETAL 2,703,970

KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF' KNITTING 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed May 25. 1949 Invenl 1'5 il) y l March l5, 1955 B. T. R. REYMl-:s-coLE ETAL 2,703,970

KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF KNITTING Filed May 25, 1949 9 sheets-sheet 9 United States Patent KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF KNI'I'TING Bernard Thornton Reymes Reymes-Cole, Burbage, near Hinckley, David Norman Reymes Reymes-Cole, Melton Mowbray, and John Maurice Reymes Reymes- Cole, Hinckley, England, assignors to The Kendall Company, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 25, 1949, Serial No. 95,336

Claims priority, application Great Britain May 31, 1948 2liv Claims. (Cl. 615-51) The invention concerns knitting machines and their products and method of producing knitted fabric. In so far as it concerns a knitting machine and a method of producing knitted fabric on a knitting machine the 1nvention relates exclusively to knitting machines of the type having individually movable needles and yarn-engaging devices (primarily sinkers and hereinafter yreferred to as such) alternating with the needles, which needles and sinkers are capable of relative loop-drawing movement determining the stitch length; the reference to relative loop-drawing movements determining the stitch length is to be construed as indicating that the needles, or the sinkers, or both, may be movable for the purpose of drawing loops of a predetermined length. The invention primarily concerns those circular knitting machines that are commonly known as seamless hose machines and the stockings knitted thereon. The conventional seamless stocking suifers from the disadvantage that since the leg is knitted throughout upon a uniform number of needles, it is produced as a tube having a substantially uniform girth. It is common practice to minimise this disadvantage by what is known as stilfening, which consists in so adjusting the machine as knitting proceeds down the leg that the stitch length is progressively reduced with a resultant progressive diminution in the girth, and by subsequently accentuating the taper by drawing the stocking onto a board or form, having the shape of a leg and foot, and submitting itv thereon to heat, moisture, and pressure with the result that the stocking 1s set to the shape of this board. Even so, the resultant stocking does not t so well as does. a fully fashioned stocking which article is the product of a Cottons Patent or other straight bar knitting machine. Fully fashioned stockings are initially knitted asa flat selvedged *blank and the selvedge edges of the blank are subsequently seamed together; their excellent lit is in the main due to the fact that the number of wales is decreased, as knitting proceeds down the leg, by a narrowing process which consiste in the periodic inward transfer of a group of wales at each selvedge. The desirability has long been recognized, of fashioning the leg of a seamless stocking by varying the number of wales during its production by rotary knitting on a circular knitting machine but heretofore attempts to this end have not met with commercial success, and a specific object of the present invention is a method and machine whereby there may be produced a fashioned, seamless, stocking free from the major defects of conventional seamless stockings and of a char-l acter adapted to meet public requirements.

The expression stocking is employed herein not only to include a conventional stocking but also analogous articles such for example as socks and three-quarter hose, and 'further to include a blank for a stocking or the like, blank being a partially completed stocking or the like at a stage after it has been knitted on the machine but at which it still requires seaming operations to be effected on it.

The invention provides a method for the construction on a knitting machine of the type specified, of knitted fabric that is shaped by the variation in the number of wales by the exchange, between knitting activity and inactivity, of fashioning needles that are closely spaced among non-fashioning needles over a limited group of the needles, which comprises the steps of imparting to the fashioning needles, when active, and their sinkers and to spaced non-fashioning needles and their sinkers beyond said group relative loop-drawing movements that differ from those imparted to all other non-fashioning needles, and their sinkers, to an extent such that discrepancies in loop size even out and the fabric knitted by the needles of said group, both when the fashioning needles are active and when they are inactive, is substantially visually indistinguishable from that knitted outside the group. Preferably but not necessarily the fashioning needles are progressively introduced into activity to initiate additional wales, but it is within the scope of the invention to withdraw them from activity so as to suppress the wales knitted by them in which case it is desirable, in order to prevent laddering, to lock the last knitted ends of these suppressed wales against running back. This locking of the wales may be effected by an appropriate stitch formation such for example as a transferred stitch or pelerine stitch, or it may be eifected by seaming.

The invention further provides a method for the production on a knitting machine of the type specified, of knitted fabric that is shaped by the insertion of additional wales, which comprises with-holding from knitting activity fashioning needles that are closely spaced among noniashioning needles over a limited group of the needles, knitting on the non-fashioning needles and imparting to spaced non-fashioning needles, and their sinkers, beyond said group relative loop-drawing movements that differ from those of the other non-fashioning needles and their sinkers and are such (a) that the fabric knitted outside the group is substantially visually indistinguishable from the fabric knitted within the group whilefashioning needles are inactive and (b) that the loops even. out, andprogressively introducing fashioning needles within the group into knitting activity to produce additional wales and imparting to them and their sinkers relative loop-drawing movements that are identical with 'those imparted to the said spaced non-fashioning needles and their sinkers whereby the fabric produced within the group subsequent to said introduction is substantially visually distinguishable from that produced outside the group at all times and from that produced within the group prior to the introduction.

The fashioning needles may be spread over two groups of the needles and these two groups employed one after the other in fashioning.v In this connection it is to be pointed out that after all the fashioning needles of one group have been introduced into activity all the active needles of this group in effect become non-fashioning needles. The two groups may comprise all or substantially all of the needles of the machine. v

Desirably but not necessarily the sinkers of the fashioning needles are exchanged with said needles between activity and inactivity. Preferably the sinker in question is that which lies at the leading side of the fashioning needle.

The invention provides a knitting machine of the type specified, having means for withholding frorn'knitting activity spaced needles- (and preferably their sinkers also),

vwithin a limited group of the needles, while knitting proceeds on theremainder of .the needles, progressively introducing said inactive needles (and their sinkers) into knitting activity as fashioning needles to shape thel fabric by the incorporation of additional wales, and at all times imparting tothe active needles and sinkers such relative loop-drawing movements as result in the fabric produced on the needles of said group before and after the introduction of the fashioning needles being substantially visually indistinguishable from the fabric produced on needles outside the group.

The invention further provides a knitting machine of the type specified, having means for imparting, to equallyspaced needles and their sinkers, relative loop-drawing movements differing from those of the intervening needles and their sinkers, means for withholding from knitting activity the said spaced needles and their sinkers within a limited group of the needles while knitting proceeds on the remainder of the needles, means for progressively in- 'troducing toknitting activity the spaced inactive needles ingneedles, and means for imparting to all spaced needles when active and their sinkers, relative loop-drawing movements such that the fabric produced by the needles of said group prior to the introduction is, inthe finished article, visually indistinguishable from the remainder of the fabric.

Desirably the spaced needles referred to consist of every second needle. Matters are also desirably so arranged that every such second needle when operative draws a slightly longer loop than does each intervening needle. It has been found in practice that the additional loop length is substantially imperceptible when the fabric comes from the machine and that after the fabric has been subjected to boarding the difference is entirely imperceptible.

The additional loop length may be achieved by imarting to the fashioning needles or to their sinkers, or to oth, movements which differ from those of the intervening non-fashioning needles.

In the application of the invention to the manufacture of ladies stockings that are shaped by the progressive introduction of the fashioning needles (and their sinkers) as knitting proceeds up the leg, the fabric produced prior to the introduction of the fashioning needles by the group of needles incorporating the fashioning needles is visually indistinguishable not only from the fabric produced by all other needles but also from the fabric produced by `the needles of that group after the fashioning needles have been introduced to activity.

The foregoing and other features of the invention set out in the appended claims are incorporated in the machine, method of manufacture, and stocking which will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a diagram showing the structure of a portion of fashioning fabric according to this invention;

Figure 2 is a similar view illustrating the manner in which the introduction of additional wales shapes or fashions the fabric, arid illustrating the evening-out of the loops;

Figures 3, 4 and 5 show stockings produced by the exercise of this invention, while Figure 6 illustrates a modified form of stocking.

Figure 7 is a lay-out of the cams of the knitting machine, looking on the interior of the cam box, and also 4sholgvs at the right hand side a sinker, needle, bit and Jac Figure 8 is a development of certain of the sinker Cams, and

Figure 9 is a plan view thereof;

' Figures 10, 11 and 12 are sectional views taken respecrijf'ely9 on the lines XX, XI-XI, and XII--XII in 1g. Figure 13 is a sectional view through the sinker bed,

needle cylinder, and jack cylinder, on a larger scale, illustrating the manner in which the fashioning sinkers are moved into and out of operation.

Figure 14 is a perspective view of a part of a jack, bit, and slidable trick wall;

Figure l shows a fashioning sinker, sinker bit, needle, bit, and jack, and illustrates the lay-out thereof;

Figures 16, 17 and 18 show the three kinds of sinkers employed;

Figure 19 is a diagram illustrating the different sinker movements;

Figure 20 is a plan view showing the dimensions of certain sinker operating cams;

Figures 21 and 22 are perspective views showing the relevant parts of a complete knitting machine (being a seamless hose or half hose machine);

Figure 23 is a plan view of the head of the knitting machine;

.Figures 24, 25 and 26 are views showing the mechanisrns for moving certain movable cams hereinafter described;

Figure 27 is an elevation (partly in section) of the Jack selecting mechanism, and

Figure 28 s a plan thereof;

Figure 29 is a diagrammatic section through a part of the needle cylinder showing one manner in which the fashioning needles may be arranged.

In Figure 1 the needle wales are lettered a to v inclusive. certain wales such as g, k etc. (termed odd wales) which extend throughout the length of the fabric and In the group of wales f to p inclusive there are other wales f, li. j, etc. (termed even wales) which only commence at intermediate stages in the production of the fabric. The loops of these even wales are somewhat longer than the loops of the odd Wales. Likewise beyond the said group of wales the loops of the even wales b, d, etc. are longer than the loops of the odd wales a, c, etc.

The difference in loop size is such that the fabric produced within the group of wales f, p before and after the introduction of the additional wales g, i, k, etc. is substantially visually undistinguishable from the fabric outside the group of wales.

As will readily be appreciated and is apparent from Fig. 2 the introduction of the additional wales causes the fabric to be shaped or fashioned, Figure 2 illustrating the fact that the loop size evens out. Moreover at the commencement of each introduced Wale there is formed a small hole such holes being indicated at 10G in Figure 2, and in the application of the invention to a ladies stocking these holes simulate the fashioning marks of a fully fashioned stocking.

It is here to be pointed out that in each course of the fabric a maximum of two kinds of fabric is produced. That is to say, fabric knitted on consecutive odd and even needles and consisting of short and long loops in alternation, and fabric knitted on the odd needles and consisting of loops all of one size.

As hereinafter explained the fashioning is effected by introducing fashioning needles and their sinkers into knitting activity, these fashioning needles being every second needle in a group of needles. In the production of a stocking such as that shown at 101 in Figure 3, because the fashioning needles are introduced progressively (working inwards from the outer ends of the group) the lines e produced by the fashioning marks 100 converge upwardly. On the other hand if thc fashioning needles are introduced progressively, Working outwards from the centre of the group, the fashioning marks 100i: diverge upwardly as shown in the stocking 102, Figure 4.

In addition to the leg fashionings 100a thigh fashionings 100b may be produced in a similar manner.

Figure 5 shows at 103 a further stocking which in addition to the calf fashionings 100:1 has foot fashionings 100e. In order to produce these foot fashionings, fashioning needles are interspersed in a further group of needles substantially diametrically opposed to the previously mentioned group. Indeed the two groups may constitute all the needles of the machine. In manufacture, since the stocking is knitted toe upwards the fashioning needles for producing the foot fashionings 100e are introduced at a time when the foot bottom is knitted on every second needle only, the intervening needles being `fashioning needles which are held inactive and are only introduced when it is required to produce the leg fashionings 100a.

A further modified stocking is shown at 104 in Fig. 6. It will be seen that the two lines of leg fashionings 100a converge upwardly. Between them there is a gap 105 in the fabric, the edges of which gap are parallel to the two fashioning lines. Thus when the edges of the fabric at opposite sides of the gap are seamed together the two fashioning lines 10M are brought parallel as in a fully fashioned stocking. The gap is preferably produced by knitting the leg as a seamless tube and cutting the requisite fabric from it. Alternatively it may be produced while the le'g is being knitted by initially withholding a block of needles from knitting activity, thereby forming a gap across which floating threads are laid, and introducing these needles progressively as knitting proceeds thereby to narrow the gap in known manner. T he gap may extend through the heel and along the foot bottoni.

The knitting machine shown in Figs. 7 to 29 of the accompanying drawings is a seamless hose or half hose machineconstructed and arranged to knit the stockings above described. It is provided with a needle cylinder 1 in which needles 2 are slidably mounted and with a sinker bed 3 in which sinkers 4 are slidably mounted to move inwards across the needle-line. The sinkers 4 comprise three kinds of sinkers 4a, 4b and 4f :is hereinafter described, and shown in Figs. 16, 17 and 18. Approximately half the needles 1 are, as is usual, long `butts 5l. permitting them to be elevated to an inactive loop-holding track as for example during the production of the heel and toe pouches, the remainder of the needles being provided with short butts 5S permitting them to be operated in known manner to produce the heel and toe pouches by reciprocation. Centrally disposed in the group of short butt needles, there is a sub-group of needles (indicated by the bracket S. G. in Fig. 15) of which every second needle is a fashioning needle. These fashioning needles have extra short butts 5F and although the sinkers 4 (comprising sinkers 4a and 4b) associated with all the non-fashioning needles are continuously in operation, the sinkers 4f associated with the fashioning needles are arranged to be introduced into operation only when the fashioning needles are introduced and when same are introduced to partake of movements which differ slightly from the conventional sinker movements. The relative loop drawing movements of the fashioning needles 2f and their sinkers 4f, and of non-fashioning needles 2b and their sinkers 4b that, throughout the remainder of the needle circle, have a similar spacing to that of the fashioning needles and their sinkers, are somewhat greater than those of the other needles 2a and their sinkers 4a to an extent such that the fabric produced by the needles of the sub-group S. G. before the introductionof the fashioning needles, is substantially visually indistinguishable from the fabric produced by the needles of the sub-group after that introduction and is also substantially visually indistinguishable from the fabric produced by the remaining needles. By substantially visually indistinguishable it is meant that the fabric is substantially visually indistinguishable after the stocking has received its normal finishing treatment (e. g. boarding). v

Attached to the base of the needle cylinder 1 there is a further cylinder 6 which over an arc of its circumference corresponding to sub-group S. G. is cut with tricks 7 aligned with the tricks 8 occupied by the fashioning needles. The spacing between these lower tricks 7 is twice that between the needle tricks 8; each of them is occupied by a selecting jack 9. These selecting jacks all have a bottom butt 10 and are also provided with upper selecting butts 11, 12, 13, 14 at contrasting positions (and desirably of contrasting lengths as shown in Fig. 15) for operation by cam 1S and by a battery 20 of selecting cams 16, 17, 18, 19, in known manner. When a selecting cam 'i6-19 engages a selecting butt, 11-14, the jack selected is elevated and operates to raise the associated fashioning needle to bring the butt of that needle from a low inactive track into the knitting track.

The jack butts 10 normally follow a low inactive path 21 and the butts 11 to 14 follow paths which are within range of the selecting cams 16 to 19. When any selecting cam is moved inwards to engage the appropriate butt that jack is raised to bring its butt 10 from the inactive track 21 to an active track 22 in which the butt 10 is placed to be engaged by cam 15, so that the jack is further raised for a purpose hereinafter described.

ln order to communicate the jack movements to the fashioning needles, a bit 23 is located in each fashioning needle trick below the needle and above the jack 9. Each bit has a butt 24 which normally pursues a low inactive track 2S. Elevation of a jack 9 by a selecting cam brings the top end of the jack against the bottom end of the associated bit 23 and raises the bit to bring its butt 24 into the track of an upthrow cam 26. This bit-upthrow cam 26 further raises the bit 23 and brings its top end against the lower end of the associated fashioning needle and raises the needle butt 5F from the inactive track 27 into the active track 2S.

It will therefore be appreciated that the fashioning needles may be selectively introduced into activity asrequired. After a fashioning needle has been introduced the appropriate selecting cam operates on its jack 9 at each course to produce the movements already outlined, the butt 24 of the associated bit 23 being lowered in each course from its active to its inactive track by a bit-downthrow cam 29 located in advance of the station occupied by the selecting cams. v y

The needle operating cams are substantially those commonly used in seamless hose and half hose machines and include the usual stitch and clearing cams 31, 32, the top centre guard cam 33, the lower centre .guard cam 34, upthrow cams 3S, 36, 37, 38 positioned beyond each stitch cam as shown. These needle-upthrow cams 3S, 38, and the top portions of cams 36, 37, are so spaced from the surface of the needle cylinder that the extra short butts of the fashioning needles miss them so that these butts continue round in an inactive track 27 beneath the stitch cams 31, 32 unless they are raised by the bit-upthrow cam 26 operating on the butts of the bits 23. This bit-upthrow cam Z6 therefore serves, in-so-far-as the fashioningneedles are concerned, as the equivalent of a needle-upthrow cam, for which purpose it is positioned directly below that needle-upthrow cani 38 which is the last one passed by the needle butts in circular knitting.

After a stocking has been completed and before the next stocking is started, it is necessary to press off the fashioning needles and to return them to their inactive level. For this purpose a bit-clearing cam 39 is inserted, at a position before the knitting cams, to raise the bits to an additional height so the associated fashioning needles clear their loops. Immediately following the position occupied by this cam, there is a needle-downthrow cam 40 which is inserted to lower all needles so that those fashioning needles that have cleared the loops are pressed off. The remaining needles, however, are engaged by the outer flanks of the leading clearing cam 35 and are returned to the knitting track.

The sinkers 4f associated with the fashioning needles are mounted upon lever-like instruments or bits 41 that are pivoted at their outer ends in a suitable bed 142 and have their inner ends arranged to be raised and lowered. When the inner end of one of the instruments 41 is lowered, it permits the butt 42jc of the associated fashioning sinker 4f to drop as to be missed by the sinker-advancing cams hereinafter described. This fashioning sinker, therefore, becomes inoperative. When the end of the associated instrument 41 -is raised the butt 421 of the sinker 4f is raised so as to be operated on by the sinker-advancing cams. The sinker, therefore, becomes operative.

In order that these instruments 41 may be raised, their inner ends rest on the top ends of blades 43 which themselves form the walls of the tricks 8 in which the fashioning needles are mounted, the said blades 43 being slidably mounted in shallow grooves 44 in the needle cylinder 1. That is to say, one wallof every second needle trick (within a limited arc of the needle circle) is constituted by a sliding blade 43, and in a construction of needle cylinder of the inserted trick wall type (wherein each trick wall is an inserted blade) every second blade is slidable. Each of the jacks 9 is of substantial width so that, as shown in Fig. 14, its top end not only engages a bit 23 but is also adapted, when raised sufficiently, to engage the lower end of a sliding blade 43 lying alongside the associated fashioning needle. As a result, when a jack 9 is raised to introduce a fashioning needle into activity, the jack also raises the slidable trick wall or blade43 associated with that needle and this slidable trick wall raises the associated sinker-selecting instrument 41 and brings the associated fashioning sinker 4f into activity.

Referring now to Figures 16 to 18, fashioning sinkers 4f are shown in Figure 16 while the non-fashioning sinkers 4a, 4b, are shown in Figures 17 and 18. The sinkers 4b are associated with those non-fashioning needles which, outside thegroup S. G., have the same spacing as the fashioning needles; the sinkers 4a are associated with the other non-fashioning needles inside and outside that group. Sinkers 4b, 4f have long butts 42b and 42f respectively and sinkers 4a have short butts 42a thereby permitting the sinkers 4b, 4f to be given a greater knocking over advance lthan the sinkers 4a in order to produce the long loops hereinbefore mentioned. Moreover the distance between the rear of the butts 42f, 42by and the throat 45)c or 45h is identical in the case of sinkers 4f, 4b and is somewhat greater4 than the distance between the rear of the butt 42a and the throat 45a of sinker 4a. In the particular example hereinafter referred to this increase is 0.025".

The sinker cams indicated generally at 46 provide a track 47 for the sinker butts but the knocking over cam 48 is spaced to provide two portions 48a, 48b as best shown in Figures 10 and 20, portion 48a being arranged to engage the short butts 42a and portion 48b being arranged to engage the long butts 42b and 42f so that the sinkers 4b and 4f are given a greater knocking over advance than the sinkers 4a. This additional advance is illustrated in Fig. 19 in relation to the needles 2.

In a specific example the needle cylinder is a nominal diameter (as understood in the trade) or 31/2'and is equipped with 340 needles of 70 gauge (Scott & Williamsv type 3400) equally spaced. The sinkers are 70 gauge sinkers, sinkers 4a being Mitchell type 1406, and sinkers 4b, 4f, being Mitchell type 1860 marking sinkers. Using silk or equivalent yarn of 60 denier best results are obtained, with the dimensions shown in Figures 19. and 20. i Y

The fashioning sinkers 4f are moved t o their inoperative position (shown at the left hand side of Fig. 13) by means of a depressing cam 49, Figures 8,` 9 and 1l, which is mounted on the sinker cap 50 and 1s pivotally movable inwards to the operative position by rocking plate 51. When moved to its inward position this cam 49 engages shoulders 52 on the fashioning sinkers 4f as the latter are retracted and presses these sinkers downwards. It will be observed that sinkers 4a, 4b are void of such shoulders 52, and that sinkers 4f are cut away as at 53 to permit their outer ends .to be forced down as shown at the left hand side of Fig. 13.

When it is desired to place the fashioning sinkers and their needles out of operation the blades 43 are lowered by a cam 54 which acts on the blade shoulders 55.

It may here be mentioned that in some instances good results are obtained if the non-fashioning sinkers 4a (b ut not the non-fashioning sinkers 4b) are tensioned- 1nwards. For this purpose these sinkers may b e provided with pivoted tensioning bits 56, Figure 7, which are encircled by the usual spring band S7.

Since the machine illustrated is of the kind commonly known as a seamless hose and half-hose machine the needle cylinder 1 is not only arranged to be rotated in the production of circular fabric but is also arranged to be oscillated or reciprocated in the production of heel and toe pouches such as 58, 59, in the conventional manner. It is unnecessary to describe or illustrate in detail the mechanism for producing these movements for it is of conventional character, but attention may be directed to the quadrant shaft 60, driving shaft 61, back gear shaft 62, and driven gear 63 carried by the latter as shown in Fig. 2l, and to the conventional chain 64 and pattern drum 65.

Owing to the use of fashioning needles which are included among the heel and toe needles but which are inactive during the production of the heel and toe, the heel and toe needles are spread over a greater arc of the cylinderperiphery than is usual and therefore the cylinder requires to oscillate through a greater angle than is shown in the production of the heel and toe. However if it is intended to produce the stocking shown in Fig. 6, in which fabric is cut away at the back of the leg, although the needle cylinder still needs a greater swing than is usual, the swing need not be so great as it requires to be if the shaping of the stocking leg is itirely effected by the introduction of fashioning nee- The heel and toe pouches are produced in conventional manner by the aid of up pickers or narrowing pickers 66, 67, and a down picker or widening picker 68, Fig. 7, the instep needles being moved into and out of the usual high inactive track by the conventional heel cams 69, 70.

Turning now to the mechanisms by which the various movable cams already described are controlled, the selecting cams 16 to 19 (of battery 20) are moved by mechanism shown in detail in Figs. 27 and 2S and consisting of a battery of feelers or cam levers 71 movable by a pattern drum 72 which is racked round by rack wheels 73 and clawker 74 mounted on lever 75. The latter is connected to an upstanding lever 76 pivoted at 77, Fig. 21, and rocked by means of a pin or the like at 78 on gear 63. When it is not required to rack the drum 72, lever 76 is held out of range of pin 78 by a tappet screw 79 which is engaged by a cam 80 on a vertically movable bar 81 attached to a lever 82, itself movable by the drum 65. When the bar S1 is lowered the cam 80 pushes the lever 76 to inoperative position.

The trick wall raising cam is moved inwards to operative position by lever 83 and connections 84, 85 from feeler 86, operated by drum ,65. An adjacent feeler 87 operates through connections 88, 89, 90 (see particularly Figs. 23 to 26) move the sinker depressing cam 49.

The trick wall lowering cam 54 is moved through lever 91, 92 and connections 93 from feeler 94 operated by drum 65. Jack clearing cam 39 and lowering cam 40 are moved by a cam-ended push rod 9S carried by cross lever 96 which is itself connected by rod 97 to a further feeler 98 operated by drum 65.

The heel cams 69, 70, are operated by conventional means indicated at 99.

`Turning now to various modification within the scope of the invention, instead or in addition to` providing 'for lthi 18 different sinker movements the 4requisite loop length may be obtained by staggering the fashioning needles, and those non-fashioning needles having the same spacing as the fashioning needles, with respect to the remaining non-fashioning needles at least during the loop drawing movement. Thus, considering the preferred construction wherein each fashioning needle is positioned between two non-fashioning needles, it will readily be appreciated that the distance between the staggered fashioning needle and each of these two non-fashioning needles is greater and bears a closer relationship to the distance between the two non-fashioning needles, than it would were the needles aligned in the usual manner. For this reason, the loops drawn bythe two non-fash ioning needles when the fashioning needle is inactive, bear a closer relationship to the loops drawn by the three needles (when the fashioning needle is active) than they would were the needles aligned. Hence the achievement of the desired visual indentity is facilitated.

Indeed, this arrangement of itself may be adequate to produce the desired result although if found necessary the sinker movements may be modified in order to assist therein.

Specifically, the lines joining any three consecutive needles of the two sets may conform substantially to the three sides of an equilateral triangle.

This is illustrated in the diagram shown in Fig. 29 in which the fashioning needles are indicated by dots 2f and the non-fashioning needles by dots 2nf. It will be seen that the tricks containing the non-fashioning needles 2n! are deeper than the tricks containing the fashioning needles 2f, to an extent such that each fashioning needle and the two non-fashioning needles between which it lies are located at the corners of an equilateral triangle (whereof the sides are for the sake of illustration in dicated by dotted lines). Thus the distance between thc fashioning needle when active and each of the two nonfashioning needles is the same as that between these two non-fashioning needles when the intervening fashioning needle is inactive.

While it is preferred that the fashioning needles and the non-fashioning needles shall alternate in a l x l sequence, other sequences may be employed: for example, one fashioning needle and two non-fashioning needles or two fashioning needles and one non-fashioning needle, or the two kinds of needles may alternate 2 x 2. Moreover, while it is preferred that the needles shall be equally spaced apart around the circle and shall all be of the same gauge, the needles may be of differing gauge, the fashioning needles being for example 54 gauge and the non-fashioning needles gauge. The size of the holes 100 may be minimised by causing each introduced fashioning needle to take thread in the first course, returning the fashion to the inactive track for at least one course so that it retains the thread, and then introducing the needle and its sinker into knitting activity.

Features of the invention relating to a knitted fabric and articles made therefrom have been made the subject matter of a divisional application, Serial No. 434,554 led in the United States Patent Office June 4, 1954, for Knitted Fabric and Articles.

What is claimed is:

l. A method for the production on a knitting machine of the type specified, of knitted fabric that is shaped by the insertion of additional wales, which comprises withholding from knitting activity fashioning needles that are closely spaced amoung non-fashioning needles over a limited group of the needles, knitting on the non-fashioning needles and imparting to spaced non-fashioning needles, and their sinkers, beyond said group relative loop-drawing movements that differ from those of the other non-fashioning needles and their sinkers and are such (a) that the fabric knitted outside the group is substantially visually indistinguishable from the fabric knitted within the group while fashioning needles are inactive and (b) that the loops even out, and progressively introducing fashioning needles within the group into knitting activity to produce additional wales and imparting to them and their sinkers relative loop-drawing movements that are identical with those imparted to the spaced non-fashioning needles and their sinkers whereby the fabric produced within the group subsequent to said introduction is substantially visually indistinguishable from that .producedoutside the group at all times and from that produced within the group prior to the introduction.

2. A method for the production on a knitting machine of the type specified, of knitted fabric that is shaped by the insertion of additional wales, which comprises withholding closely spaced needles from initial knitting activity and knitting on the remaining needles, progressively introducing withheld needles into activity `as fashioning needles within a limited group of the needles to produce additional wales and imparting to the introduced fashioning needles and their sinkers relative loop-drawing movements which differ from those of the initially-active needles and their sinkers and are such that the fabric knitted by the needles of said group subsequent to such introduction is substantially visually indistinguishable from that produced outside the group on the initiallyactive spaced needles, and subsequently introducing into knitting activity the spaced, initially Withheld, needles outside the group and imparting to them and their sinkers the same relative loop-drawing movements as those imparted to the introduced fashioning needles and their sinkers.

3. A method according to claim l, wherein the fashioning needles and their sinkers are given relative loop-drawing movements resulting in the formation of long loops.

4. In the production of a fashioned knitted fabric on a knitting machine having a circular series of independent needles and associated sinkers, including a group of needles and sinkers containing fashioning needles spaced between other non-fashioning needles in the group and selected spaced non-fashioning needles beyond said group in said series, and means for varying the number of fashioning needles and assocated sinkers active in said circular series, the method of knitting which comprises circular knitting on the needle series and imparting relative loop drawing movements to the active needles and associated sinkers of the circular series including any active fashioning needles spaced in said group, and imparting to such active spaced fashioning needles and associated sinkers of said group and to said selected non-fashioning needles beyond the. group relative loop drawing move` ments that are greater than those imparted to all the remaining active needles and sinkers, thereby minimizing visual contrast between the fabric knitted outside the group and that knitted by the needles inside the group.

5. In the production of a fashioned knitted fabric on a knitting machine having a circular series of independent needles and associated sinkers, including a group of needles and sinkers containing fashioning needles closely spaced between other non-fashioning needles in the group i and selected closely spaced non-fashioning needles beyond said group in said circular series, and means for varying the number of fashioning needles with their associated sinkers in the active portion of the series, ,the method of knitting which comprises circular knitting on the needle series and imparting relative loop drawing movements to the active needles and associated sinkers of the circular series, varying the number of active closely spaced fashioning needles and their associated sinkers in following courses of knitting, and imparting to such active fashioning needles and associated sinkers and to said selected closely spaced non-fashioning needles and associated sinkers beyond the group relative loop drawing movements that are greater than those imparted to all the remaining active needles and sinkers of the series, thereby minimizing visual contrast between the fabric knitted outside the group and that knitted by the needles within the group.

6. A method for the production, on a knitting machine of the type specified of knitting fabric that is shaped by the insertion of additional wales, which method cornprises withholding from knitting activity fashioning needles and associated sinkers that are closely spaced among non-fashioning needles over a limited group of needles, knitting on the non-fashioning needles and imparting to selected closely spaced non-fashioning needles and their sinkers beyond said group relative loop drawing movements that are greater than those of the other non-fashioning needles and their sinkers and are such that the fabric knitted outside the group is substantially visually indistinguishable from the fabric knitted within the group while fashioning needles are inactive and the loops even out, and progressively introducing fashioning needles within the group into knitting activity to produce additional wales and imparting to them and their sinkers relative loop drawing movements substantially equal to those imparted to the selected closely spaced non-fashioning needles and their sinkers outside this said group, whereby the fabric produced within the group subsequent to the introduction is substantiallyf-visually indistinguishable from that produced outside the group at all times and from that produced within the group prior to the introduction.

7. In the production, on a knitting machine having a circular series of independent needles and associated sinkers, including a group of needles and sinkers containing fashioning needles spaced alternately between other needles in the group and selected non-fashioning needles spaced alternately with other non-fashioning needles beyond said group in said circular series, and means for varying the numberof said fashioning needles and selected non-fashioning needles active in the circular series of needles, the method of knitting which comprises imparting relative loop drawing movements to the active needles and sinkers of the circular series while the alternate fashioning needles and sinkers Within the group and the alternately spaced selected non-fashioning needles beyond the group are inactive, thereafter in the knitting of following courses progressively adding said alternating fashioning needles and thereafter said selected alternate non-fashioning needles in operation in the needle series,

and imparting to each of said added fashioning needlesl and selected non-fashioning needles and their sinkers loop drawing movements that are greater than those imparted to all other needles and sinkers.

8. ln the production of a knitted fabric on a knitting machine having a circular series of independent needles including alternating fashioning and non-fashioning needles and associated sinkers, and means for rendering active and inactive said'fashioning needles and associated sinkers, the method of knitting which comprises imparting relative loop drawing movements of relatively greater extent to said alternate fashioning needles and associated sinkers about the circular series of needles and imparting relative loop drawing movements of relatively less extent to the intervening non-fashioning needles and associated sinkers, and varying the number of said alternate fashioning needles knitting long loops active in the needle series in following courses to produce a shaped fabric with the knitted loops thereof having the appearance of even length, and with the fabric portions knitted upon said varying number of fashioning needles substantially visually indistinguishable from other knitted fabric portions.

9. In the production of a knittedfabric on a knitting machine having a circular series of independent needles and associated suikers, a portion at least of said series comprising a group of fashioning needles and sinkers closely spaced among non-fashioning needles, and means for rendering active and inactive said fashioning needles and associated sinkers, the method of knitting which comprises imparting relative loop drawing movements to all of the needles and associated sinkers of the series, imparting relative loop drawing movements of relatively greater extent to said fashioning needles and associated sinkers to draw loops of greater length, and imparting relative loop drawing movements of relatively less extent to thenon-fashioning needles and associated sinkers Within said limited portion of the needle series to draw loops of lesser extent, said loop lengths being chosen so that all of the fabric knitted within said limited portion of the needle series is substantially indistinguishable from other knitted fabric portions both while said fashioning needles are active and while said fashioning needles are inactive, and varying the number of said fashioning needles knitting long loops active in the needle series in following courses to produce a shaped fabric.

l0. In the production of a knitted fabric on a circular knitting machine having a circular series of independent needles and associated sinkers including at least two groups of fashioning needles with their associated sinkers alternating with other needles in the group, and means for varying the number of' said alternating fashioning needles and sinkers active inthe needle series, the method of knitting which comprises the steps' of circular knitting on said series of needles and associated sinkers, imparting relative loop drawing movements of one extent to all of said needles and sinkers but the fashioning needles and associated sinkers, imparting relative loop drawing movements of greater extent to any active fashioning needles and sinkers, knitting courses with said fashioning needles and sinkers inactive and progressively adding the inactive fashioning needles and sinkers to the active series from one of said groups and thereafter from the other of said groups to produce a shaped fabric with t-he knitted loops thereof having the appearance of Aeven length.

11. The method according to claim applied to the production of a fashioned stocking which method .includes the steps of producing two spaced lines of fashion marks which converge upwardly, forming such an upwardly converging gap in the fabric at theback of the leg between said lines as, in the finished fabric, will bring the lines substantially parallel, and seaming together the edges of the fabric at opposite sides of the gap.

l2. The method according to claim 5 which comprises the steps of imparting identical loop drawing movements to all of the needles, imparting a knocking-over advance of the same extent to the sinkers associated with all the h needles other than the fashioning needles and selected non-fashioning needles, and imparting a knocking-over advance of suflciently greater extent to the sinkers associated with the active fashioning needles and select ed non-fashioning needles to provide substantial uniformity of loop size in the finished fabric.

13. The method according to claim 5 which comprises the steps of imparting substantially identical loop drawing movements to all the needles, imparting sinker moven ments of substantially identical extent for all sinkers associated with needles other than the fashioning needles and selected non-fashioning needles, and imparting sinker movements of greater extent to those sinkers associated with the active fashioning and selected non-fashioning needles.

14. The method according to claim 5 which comprises the steps of imparting substantially identical sinker movements to all active sinkers, imparting loop drawing movements of substantially the same extent to all needles other than the fashioning needles and selected non-fash ioning needles, and causing all active fashioning needles and selected non-fashioning needles to draw loops of greater extent than those drawn by said other needles.

15. A knitting machine to produce a wale shaped fabric of substantially uniform stitch appearance having a circular series of independent needles and associated sinkers, a portion at least cf said series comprising a group of fashioning needles and sinkers closely spaced among non-fashioning needles, means for supporting and for imparting relative loop drawing movements to all of the needles and associated sinkers of the series, including means for supporting and for actuating said fashioning needles and associated sinkers relatively to draw loops of one length, means for supporting and for actuating the non-fashioning needles and sinkers within said limited portion of the needle series relatively to draw loops of a different length, said loop lengths being chosen so that the fabric knitted within said limited portion of the needle series is substantially visually indistinguishable from other knitted fabric portions both while said fashioning needles are active and while said fashioning needles are inactive, and means to exchange between activity and inactivity the number of fashioning needles and associated sinkers in operation.

16. A knitting machine to produce a wale shaped fabric of substantially uniform stitch appearance having a circular series of independent needles and associated sinkers including non-fashioning needles and sinkers and a group of fashioning needles -and sinkers closely spaced among said non-fashioning needles about a limited portion of said circular series, actuating means for imparting relative loop drawing movements to all of the needles and associated sinkers, said fashioning needles and associated sinkers and said actuating means being constructed and arranged to cause said fashioning needles and associated sinkers to draw loops of a relatively greater extent than the non-fashioning needles and sinkers within said limited portion of the needle series, said loop lengths being chosen so that the fabric knitted Vupon said limited portion of the needle series having said fashioning needles is substantially visually indistinguishable from other knitted fabric portions both while said fashioning needles are active and while said fashioning needles are inactive, and means to exchange between activity and inactivity the number of fashioning needles and associated sinkers in operation.

17. A knitting machine to produce a Wale shaped fabric of substantially uniform stitch appearance having a circular series of independent needles and associated sinkers including non-fashioning needles and sinkers and a group of fashioning needles and sinkers closely spaced among said non-fashioning needles about a limited portion of said circular needle series, and a selected number of nonfashioning needles closely spaced among said non-fashioning needles and their sinkers located immediately beyond said group of fashioning needles, actuating means for imparting relative loop drawing movements to the needles and associated sinkers, said fashioning needles and selected number of non-fashioning needles with their associated sinkers and said actuating means being constructed and arranged to cause said fashioning and selected needles and associated sinkers to draw loops of a relatively greater extent than the remaining non-fashioning needles-and their sinkers, said loop lengths being chosen so that the fabric knitted outside of said group having said fashioning needles is substantially visually indistinguishable from the fabric knitted within the group having said fashioning needles both while said fashioning needies are active and while said fashioning needles are inactive, and means to exchange between activity and inactivity the number of fashioning needles and associated sinkers in operation.

18. A knitting machine to produce a wale shaped fabric of substantially uniform stitch appearance having a circular series of independent needles and associated sinkers including non-fashioning needles and sinkers and a group of fashioning needles and sinkers closely spaced among said non-fashioning needles about at least a portion of said circular needle series, and a selected number of nonfashioning needles closely spaced among said non-fashioning needles and their sinkers located immediately beyond said group of fashioning needles, actuating means for imparting relative loop drawing movements to the needlesV and associated sinkers, said fashioning needles and selected non-fashioning needles with their associated sinkers and said actuating means being constructed and arranged to cause said fashioning and selected needles and associated sinkers to draw loops of a different length from said non-fashioning needles and sinkers, said loop lengths being chosen so that the fabric knitted outside of said group having said fashioning needles is substantially visually indistinguishable from the fabric knitted within the group having said fashioning needles both while said fashioning needles are active and while said fashioning needles are inactive, and means to exchange between activity and inactivity the number of fashioning needles and associated sinkers in operation.

19. In a knitting machine for producing a wale fashioned fabric of substantially uniform stitch appearance having a circular series of independent needles and associated sinkers including non-fashioning needles and their sinkers, and a group of fashioning needles and sinkers equally spaced with non-fashioning needles about at least a limited portion of said circular series of needles, actuating means for imparting relative loop drawing movements to the needles and associated sinkers, said fashioning needles with their associated sinkers and said actuating means being constructed and relatively arranged to cause said fashioning needles and associated sinkers to draw loops of a relatively greater extent than the remaining non-fashioning needles and their sinkers, said loop lengths being chosen so that the fabric knitted outside of said group is substantially visually indistinguishable from the fabric knitted within the group while said fashioning needles are active and while said fashioning needles are inactive, and means for progressively introducing said fashioning needles and associated sinkers to knitting activity.

20. In a knitting machine for providing a Wale fashioned fabric of substantially uniform appearance comprising a circular series of independent needles and associated sinkers including a plurality of selected needles and associated sinkers spaced evenly from one another between others of said independent needles and sinkers, actuating mechanism for said needles and sinkers including means for imparting relative loop drawing movements of one extent to said needles and sinkers other than the selected needles and sinkers, and means for impartingrelative loop drawing movements of a greater extent to the selected needles and associated sinkers, and means for rendering a group from said selected needles and sinkers operative and inoperative to form loops, and control means fet' progressively transferring selected needles and sinkers from inactivity to active peration as fashioning needles and sinkers.

21. A knitting machine according to claim 19 having needle actuating means for imparting substantially identical loop drawing movements to all of the needles, and sinker actuating means for imparting to the sinkers associated with the needles other than the selected needles a knocking-over advance of the same extent, and for imparting to the sinkers associated with the selected needles a knocking-over advance of greater extent.

22. In a knitting machine for producing a Wale fashioned fabric of substantially uniform stitch appearance having a circular series of independent needles and associated sinkers including non-fashioning needles and sinkers and a group of fashioning needles and sinkers spaced alternately with intervening non-fashioning needles about a limited portion of said circular needle series, and a selected number of non-fashioning needles spaced alternately with intervening non-fashioning needles and their sinkers located immediately beyond said group of fashoning needles and sinkers, means to impart to the sinkers associated with said needles other than fashioning and selected non-fashioning needles a knocking-over advance of normal extent, and for imparting to the sinkers associated with the fashioning needles and selected non-fashioning needles a knocking over advance of greater than normal extent, and means to exchange between activity and inactivity the number of fashioning needles and associated sinkers in operation.

23. A knitting machine according to claim 19 having sinkers selecting mechanisms serving to vactuate the sinkers associated with the selected needles and constituted by slidable blades forming the walls of tricks in which the said needles slide, tricks for said needles, means for operatively connecting the blades and the sinkers, whereby the blade movements bring the sinkers into operation, and means for sliding the blades.

24. A knitting machine to produce a wale shaped fabric of substantially uniform stitch appearance having a circular series of independent needles and associated sinkers, a portion at least of said series comprising a group of fashioning needles alternating with nonfashioning needles, means supporting the alternating fashioning and non-fashioning needles in staggered relation at least during their loop drawing movements in such a manner that in plan each fashioning needle and the two non-fashioning needles flanking it are located at the corners of an equilateral triangle, means for actuating the fashioning needles and associated sinkers relatively to draw loops of one length, means for.

actuating the non-fashioning needles and sinkers within said limited portion of the needle series relatively to draw loops of a different length, said loop lengths being chosen so that the fabric knitted within said limited portion of the needle series is substantially visually indistinguishable from other knitted fabric portions both while said fashioning needles are active and while said fashioning needles are inactive, and means to exchange between activity and inactivity the number of fashioning needles and associated sinkers in operation.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,883,581 Cole Oct. 18, 1932 2,026,745 Martel -L Jan. 7, 1936 2,290,147 Booton July 14, 1942 2,291,576 Booton July 28, 1942 

